Wichita eagle., 1887-08-10
WHITE HOUSE DINNERS.
HOW THEY ARE PREPARED BY THE
"STEWARD OF THE HOUSEHOLD"

Presidential Household-How the vari
= Gus Bills Are Paid.
The original organic act of the executive
establishment, dating back almost century
in designating the personnel of what was
known as the official household Of the presi
dent created the Office of steward Of the
household" The officer holding that place
was by law intrusted with the custody of the
plate and care of the furniture and effects oil
the United States kept in the executive man
sion for the use of the president. He was re-
quired to give bonds for the faithful per
Torrance of his trust He also had charge OF
the personal servants Of the president, made
all purchases for the presidents table, and
performed such other duties within the circle
of the domestic life of the president as might
be assigned him.
When Washington inaugurated his "official
household" in New York under the act of
1859, be made Samuel Faunce, a local celeb
| rity as landlord and caterer, the steward
of his household" Faunce during portion
of the period of the Revolutionary war had
been landlord of the City tavern, a favorite
resort for officers of the English forces during
their occupancy of the city, and of the Amer
lean officers when the city passed into their
hands after peace. 1t was at the City tavern,
| when Faunce was still its landlord, that
Washington and the officers of his disbanded
army met, and where the general-in-chief Of
the continental forces took an affecting leave
before his departure for his home at Mount
Vernon There has been a steward of the
presidents household" ever since, but the in
cumbent of the office has been changed as
often as there have been presidents. 1t is
natural that every president should desire SO
important and close a position in his own per-
sonal household to be filled by some one pre-
| viously known to him.
| GROVER CLEvELAND'S STEWARD.
When Grover Cleveland established HIM
self in the executive mansion in March, 1885,
he appointed William T. Sinclair, of Buffalo,
steward of the household" Sinclair began
life by assisting his father in the care of pub
lie buildings i'll the Queen City of the Lakes.
1t was III this capacity twenty Years ago,
while having the care of the Western Union
building in which were the law offices of the
Cleveland firm, that he first met that member
of it who is now president Of the United
States. Since that time Sinclair tried the
hotel business at Niagara Falls, which was
nora success. He spent some time on the
lakes and in hotels, connected with the stew
ards department. Later he was porter for
the United States Express company, and last
III the same capacity for the Bank of Com
merce. The fidelity and trIlstworthiness Of
Sinclair had come under Mr.. Clevelands
notice. When elected to the governorship of
New York he secured his services and made
him steward of the executive mansion at AL
bany. In March, 1885, he brought him to
Washington.
When the president proposes to give a state
dinner or any other entertainment outside of
the established routine of the household he in
dictates the fact, designating the number of
guests to be invited and the hour for the din
her. menu suitable to the occasion is pre-
pared by the steward ia consultation with the
chef, the latter arranging the courses, Of
what to consist and the quantity Of the raw
material required. From this list the steward
makes his purchases. The articles are deliv-
cred TO the chef and the menu prepared. The
table is spread in the same way. The steward,
with his assistants, arranges the plates and
glasses tor the number of guests to be enter
tanned. The chef indicates the position of
his decorative pieces. The florist is then
called in to add the final touches of floral
decoration. To arrange table for state
occasion and to give it novelty is a work of
genius. The great feature of the official din
ing, next to the menus, of the past season
was the variety, taste and elegance of the
table equipment and decoration. The social
lunches given by Mrs. Cleveland TO her lady
friends were also chef d'oeuvers in their way.
ROUTINE OF THE HOUSEHOLD
The usual daily routine of the household is
breakfast at 9, luncheon at 1:30, and dinner
at z. State dinners are usually announced
for 80 pm The serving of state dinner
is in courses by ten to twelve experienced
colored walters in full dress. The additional
number not permanently in the mansion are
taken from outside, but are regularly en-
ployed for such occasions on account of their
training i'll this special service
There is a mistaken notion that a large
share of the official entertaining is paid for
out of a contingency fund provided for the
purpose This is a mistake Only the
steward of the household,s the florist door
keepers, ushers, walters, laborers and metro
politans, the furnishing, heating and lighting
of the mansion and maintenance of the con-
servatorieS are paid for out of funds appro-
priated Out of his salary of $4,000 a year
the president pays for his chef and assistants,
for all his official and unofficial table and the
female domestics in the private parts of the
mansion He also pays out of his own pocket
for his private coachman footmen and stable
men and the care of his private horses 1t is
a small business for great nation, but such
are the drains upon the annual stipend al
lowed the president out of the public trea-
sury. The state dinners are as much part
nf of \; 10Th
are his ceremonial receptions to the diplomatic
CORDS the congress, the Judiciary, the army
and the navy, and the sovereign public And
direhction on his part in this respect would
be heralded far and wide as an official mis-
demeanor. Even as it is murmurs are often
heard among those not reached in the order
of presidency or Importance for chance to
poke their legs under the presidential mahog-
any and show their familiarity with polite
dining 10y putting sugar and cream in the
bouillon, diving into the celery, and being &C
cused by their Wis a Wis of eating the bouuuer
or drinking the water in the finger bowls for
lemonade ard offending polteneSs by pro-
nouncing it. in the parliamentary language
of the house, id weak"
The executive mansion is not an official
hoStelry, and as the president pays for his
own dinners, official and otherwise, he is
entitled to the inalienabie right of any other
citizen in selecting his own guests. even re-
strained as he is by the proprietieS of supreme
rank-W ashington Cor. Philadelphia Times.
Rather Unruly Lately.
Every foot We travel in a railroad train
saves us a greater danger in some other
means of CONVEYANCE which Is less saCllre